CELL SWELLING INCREASED THE ALPHA-2-MACROGLOBULIN GENE-EXPRESSION IN CULTURED RAT HEPATOCYTES

The effect of cell swelling on the expression of the alpha 2-macroglob ulin (alpha 2M) gene was studied in hepatocytes in culture, Hypoosmola rity-induced an increase (3-fold increase) in the level of alpha 2M mR NA through a corresponding stimulation of tile rate of transcription o f the alpha 2M gene, The addition of raffinose (100 mM) corrected the effect of hypoosmolarity at both mRNA and transcriptional level? demon strating that cell swelling per se was responsible for the observed ef fect on the expression of the alpha 2M gene, Moreover, the effect of c ell swelling was additive to that of interleukin 6, a major mediator o f the acute-phase response. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemica l Societies.